Anna
by cookiethiefmimii
Summary: After an unfortunate accident befalls the daughter of Mrs Lovett and Sweeney Todd the evening her parents are killed, she is left alone as one of the undead. How ever will she survive?  Oh, why do I bother? My summaries suck!
1. New Blood

'After an unfortunate accident befalls the daughter of Mrs Lovett and Sweeney Todd the evening her parents are killed, she is left alone as one of the undead. How ever will she survive?'

Immediately after the ending of the film, any writing in italics is from the character's POV and the bold is thoughts. I hope you enjoy it. I've had this on my computer for about a month now but I've not been confident enough to publish it…until now. Any thoughts would be appreciated so I know whether or not to publish the rest. Thanks everyone!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, only characters of my own creation.

_It wasn't fire. I knew now more than ever that fire wasn't that cold. It was freezing me, turning my blood to ice and causing my limbs to stiffen; it hurt in the same way pins and needles did, as when I'd been standing for too long in one position. Now it was all over my body and it was paralyzing me, rooting me to one spot. I forced my eyes to open and saw the basement floor against my face, I blinked and my eyelashes brushed over it. I heard the footsteps of my attacker getting closer, I smelled his scent. He smelled of the outside. Of trees and grass and a hint of the sea, the place my mum always dreamed of going. I could still smell what HE'D done to her, the stench of burning human flesh was trapped to me, up my nose, in my mouth, I could taste it._

'_Do you want to live, young one?' The stranger whispered to me, I raised my eyes to him, to watch him running his hand through the pooling blood leaking from my face and neck, which was mixing with that of the murderer laying not a metre away from myself._

'_Y-yes.' I choked back to him, at sixteen what else would I have been expected to do? There was the sound of clothes rustling, then a noise like someone in taking breath very suddenly. His wrist was extended before me, blood running from a small, straight gash across his white skin. His pressed the cut to my lips._

'_Swallow.' He commanded. I did, it tasted of iron, metallic. Like when the inside of a pie isn't baked enough. There was something else there, something almost sour but sweet at the same time. 'I'm giving you back your life, little girl, you'll never crave to join them again.'_

_At the time it seemed never ending but in hindsight it could only have been a matter of second that he held his arm there. He went to move and I bit down._

'_**Not yet. You're not getting away that lightly!**__'_

'_Let go!' He growled, but I could hear desperation. The pins and needles was subsiding but something else was taking its place. Something darker. I could feel it crawling, slithering, like a snake, through my veins; it felt like my blood had stopped flowing. I couldn't hear my breathing anymore, only the stopping of a heart. Was it mine? No, I'd feel it surely. Mr Todd. I turned my head and the pale man snatched his wrist away, panting. Mr Todd was taking his last breath._

'_**Die, you sick bastard, go to Hell!**__' I hoped he heard my thoughts._

_Then I heard the laughing._

'_So much to learn. You're stronger, faster; you could take life or give it…' He stopped chuckling._

_My eyes shifted to the furnace. The man roared with cold hysteria._

'_No, you can't save her.' And he laughed again, I glared. Then stood, my muscles shook, I reached my hand to where my wounds should be. Nothing, just my skin. It was cold. Like his. I'd stood too quickly, normally my head would have rushed, but now I was steady, too steady, too solid._

'_What did you do to me?' My voice was different; the pitch was lower but softer, I almost sounded like I was singing, yet there was more danger in it than there had ever been. I had venom behind my words as I spoke to him._

'_Why, child, I gave you your wish: to live. Now I must leave you, goodbye…and good luck.' He moved to the entrance to the sewer before turning round to me. 'Anna.'_

_I watched him leave. I did nothing but stand there, feeling the new energy coursing through my body, my tongue teasing my newly sharpened canines. How was it possible that the aroma of Mr Todd's blood reached me from over there? It was stale, like it had gone wrong, rotted as his corpse surely would. It wasn't an appetising smell._

_Then I heard footsteps, growing closer._

'_**Toby.**__' I could tell from their hesitance, the lightness of them, the quick but reluctant steps. He rounded the corner, his face puckered with concern. Upon seeing me, his face flooded with relief._

'_Anna!' He ran to me. I could smell his blood. Sweet and fresh, being pumped round his body by his beating heart._

_I cleared my throat but couldn't speak, my throat was dry. He threw himself against my body. Robotically, I wrapped my arms gently round him. He must have felt the difference because he stirred and moved away from me._

'_Anna…what happened to you?'_

'_I…mum…' I couldn't organise my thoughts, I was intoxicated by the scent of the essence of his life._

'_Oh, Anna!' He launched himself at me again, resting his head on my shoulder, flopping sideways as exhaustion took him away._

'_**This should make it easier.**__' The part of me that had changed thought, I barely had time to think in fact. He sighed._

_That's when I sank my teeth into his neck._


	2. No Change

Every time was varied in some way. Never the same as the last. Patterns remained the same daily and over decades it was difficult to detect the routine changing. Wake up, play with cereal or toast, listen to the same lesson heard a hundred times or more previously, pretend to eat lunch, more lessons, fake enthusiasm for the evening meal, go out and eat, argue, bed, sneak out and walk the streets, come back and 'sleep'. The cycle would begin again, as every morning. Not this one. A knock on the door brought news from a social worker.

'Good morning, Anna.' She smiled. Anna did not return the gesture. 'You know why I'm here, I take it?'

'Because no tutor can deal with me on homebound anymore.'

'It isn't only that, Anna.' She gave her a reprimanding look. 'Head office believes that it would be to your benefit to be at a school with people your age.'

'So no homebound teacher has to deal with me.'

'No, so you can mingle and make friends! You'd like people to go to college with, wouldn't you?'

'I'm not going to college.'

'Oh Anna, stop this nonsense! Get your coat on, come on, we're going to be late.'

Anna knew when she was defeated so reluctantly got her coat and boots on, ignoring her foster carer, Hope Jacobs', calling of goodbye and good luck. The car windows were steamy, Anna recalled the streets as she sped through them, how they had once been filled with rats and peasants, but were now harbouring dog walkers and business people. How things change.

'The church's gone.' Anna mused out loud and instantly regretted it, for her social worker had turned to look at her quizzically.

'Church?'

'Yes…there, a church was…oh never mind.'

'When has there been a church here, Anna?'

'Never mind.'

They sat in silence; the tension would need a knife to slice through it – or a razor. A sharp, curved bladed razor, glittering in the moonlight with crimson life so freshly extinguished running down its surface, following its figure.

'Here we go.' The car stopped. 'Anna?' She was lost in a daydream, her eyes wide and staring. 'Out you get now.'

'Hm?'

'Get out the car, we're here.'

'Oh.'

Together they walked up the steps to the reception.

'Greta Banks, Social Worker, and my charge here is about to start at this school today.'

'Alright, then.' The receptionist smiled. Another fake smile. 'What's your name, then?'

Traditionally, the phrase 'what's your name, then?' would generally be followed by the endearment 'dear' – not so anymore.

'Name?' She was still smiling, what Anna wouldn't have given to widen that smile. A razor would do it.

'_**That'll teach you to be so fake!**_'

'Anna…tell Ms McCathen your name.' There was warning in the tone, but Anna decided to let it slide.

'Anna.'

'Your full name?'

'Anna Lovett.'

'Sure, you're in class 11R4, your teacher is Mrs Harding, she'll introduce you to your class, okay?'

'I'll show you there, Anna.' Greta Banks grinned, 'And thank you.' She and Ms McCathen nodded to each other and Greta put her hand on Anna's back to lead her away. 'This'll be good, won't it?' Her voice was animated but forced. Greta knocked on the door. 'I have Anna here.'

'Do come in! Anna, let me get you sorted out.' Anna was ushered into the room and guided to a seat. She was the only one there besides Mrs Harding; Greta was already at the door.

'I'll drop by later, Anna, to see how you get on, alright?' She got no response, but, to give her due credit, she persevered, 'Have fun!'

'So, Anna, how are you feeling about school? This is a good school, very accommodating—' She prattled on, Anna was no longer listening, her keen hearing picked up someone in the hallway, a new scent. Young, vibrant. Female. Then footsteps, this reminded her of another time, she pushed the thought away and put her hand up to silence her teacher.

'Sh.' Anna kept still.

'What is it, Anna?' Mrs Harding tried to look round to see Anna's facial expression. The door creaked, a girl appeared. 'Good morning, Pearl!'

'Hey.' Another young girl with no idea of what life holds for her. She smiled in a typical awkward teenage way. It had been a long time since Anna has possessed such a smile.

'Now, Anna, sit down, Pearl is early, students don't arrive until nine o'clock usually. I'll leave you for a moment to get you a school planner and a pack containing the term dates for this year.' A smile as she left. Some things never change. Same as ever, cheap and cheerful. Like Mum's shop. Anna smiled, there were some nice memories.

'Hi.' Anna spun round in her chair, a look of shock rippled across the other girl's face.

'_**Not used to seeing people move so fast.**_' Anna realized she'd have to watch her back from now on.

'Hello.'

'I'm Pearl Aaron.' Closer she came, to sit opposite Anna. There was a pause. 'What's your name?'

'Anna.'

'Anna who?'

'Lovett. Anna Lovett.'

'That's a nice name. Kind of familiar.' Then, 'How old are you?'

'Sixteen. I suppose.'

'Same as me. What do you mean you "suppose"?'

Anna shrugged.

'When's your birthday?'

Another shrug.

'You don't know your birthday? Do you not celebrate or get given presents?'

Shake of the head.

'Wow.'

'_**Time to change the topic…**_' Anna struggled for something to say. 'What are the people like here? Teacher just told me they're nice.'

'Oh, urm…' Pearl looked away uncertainly, then Anna realized that she wasn't blinking and was probably making the poor girl feel scrutinized. She detected a certain coolness to Pearl when other students had been mentioned.

'Not so nice then?'

'Well, no, that's one way to put it. They don't like difference you see.'

'_**Ah. To use the common phrase, I'm screwed!**_'

'Right. Won't like me much, then!'

'Well, you sure are different.'

'What?' Anna stopped looking at the posters on the wall. 'How do you mean?'

'There's something about you. I don't know what but you seem…different, unusual. Older, somehow.'

'You getting on, girls?' Mrs Harding smiled as she handed Anna her things but Anna wasn't paying attention to her, her eyes were still on Pearl who was playing with a loose thread on her jeans.

Anna remembered to blink.


	3. Talking Back

The hand moved slightly, only a millimetre, but it was enough. Enough to set the noises off and the shouting voices being given a release. The end of the first school day. Random snippets of other peoples' conversations reached Anna's ears. Talk of clothes and celebrities and things that were utterly pointless but seemed to rule over young people. Fighting her way through the queue to the lockers Anna picked up more pertinent words.

'…the new girl, yes, weird isn't she? Why does she look so pale?'

'She's always this pale.' Anna turned on her heel to face them, enjoying the look of shock that shot across their previously smug faces. Her voice had been heard, despite the length of the room being between them and the constant din of voices, and they were surprised, and the chatter had died down. All eyes in the room flickered from where the five of them stood to where Anna was, she stole a glance at Pearl who looked shocked…and scared. Not of Anna, but her fear was directed to the other side of the room.

'_**So these must be the class bullies then.**_' Anna sighed inside '_**Just like in every shit high school film.**_'

'Who are you, anyway?' One of them demanded, composure regained.

'I'm Anna Lovett. Who are you?' She mirrored their attitude-laden question with one of her own, and from the crowd, giggles could be heard and mutterings of '…she's asking for it.'

'Anna Lovett?' The girl smirked, 'Did you hear that?' She addressed her friends, 'She's Anna Lovett.'

'And I asked who you are.' Anna cut in and openly smiled at the look that crossed the girl's face. 'What's your name?'

'What are you going to do if I don't tell you?' She said mockingly, leaning forwards so as to patronize Anna into submission.

'_**The things I'd LIKE to do…**_'

Anna shifted her weight from foot to foot, her stance stable, ready.

'Would you like to find out?'

Hushed murmurs ensued, slowly, people began to leave. They glanced back, their faces clearly showing their fear for Anna's safety; they need not to have worried.

The girl sneered.

'Another time, huh? Anna Lovett…' She motioned for her friends to follow her and their bravado returned fully once they were outside the door, Anna maintained her position.

'Anna?' Pearl approached her, hand outstretched to touch her shoulder. Anna turned, Pearl's hand fell as she did so.

'Mm?'

'That was brave…or stupid, I can't tell which.'

'Neither, really.'

'They'll have it in for you now.'

'I don't care.'

Silence.

'You're fostered, aren't you?' Pearl looked up, concern obvious.

'_**She reminds me of Toby.**_'

'Yes.'

'Where's your Mum?'

'My Mum's dead.'

'Oh.' She looked around, awkward. 'Do you mind…'

'She died in a fire.' Well, it wasn't lying.

'That's terrible.'

'You could say that.'

'What about your Dad? Or is he…'

'Dead like my Mum, yes.'

'Oh. I'm sorry.'

'It's okay.'

'How long ago did they…'

'Die? A long time ago. Really, ages.'


	4. Another Slip

_Pearl was watching me with nothing short of admiration. I don't deserve a look like that, if it wasn't for my…condition – there is no way I would be standing up to those people! She asked me questions I didn't want to answer so I got them over with as quickly as possible then tried to leave but she wouldn't stop talking. I told her she hadn't picked up her coat and she said she knew, but hadn't finished talking to me yet, so wasn't going home. I told her I was._

'_Which way are you walking?' She asked me._

'_Towards Orrick Road.'_

'_Where's that?'_

'_Past where the church used to be.'_

'_Church?'_

_Damn. I'd done it again._

'_Yeah, there used to be church near…by that…oh it doesn't matter!' I said for the second time in a day._

'_I don't remember there being a church-'_

'_Forget the church thing, Pearl, okay? I'm going that way regardless of whether there's a church there or not and…what are you laughing at?'_

_She was giggling, fully. Like I'd said something hilarious._

'_What?' I asked again. Oddly, I didn't feel angry._

'_You are so odd!' She laughed again, 'and I like it!'_

'_Erm…thanks?'_

'_Do you want to do something now school's over?'_

'_I can't. My social worker's coming to see me.' I pulled a face._

'_Oh, okay. I'll give you my mobile number then, shall i?'_

'_If you want to.' I pulled my own mobile phone from the bottom of my school bag. I seldom use it, so it was covered with grime and general dust from the bottom of my bag. The bag itself is very old, it's been with me all along and I saw Pearl eyeing it. Her gaze then moved to my phone, it was only a cheap one from Tesco so there was not much to see._

'_Nice bag.'_

'_Thanks. What's your number?' I stared at the device in my hand; the mysteries of some modern technology still evaded me. I wasn't sure how I was meant to turn it on. Pearl was watching me. Again._

'_Alright?' Her eyes moved to my phone._

'_Uh…' I shrugged, 'you know what? Battery's dead.' I hoped to get her stare off me and hopefully not end up with some loner's number. I wasn't here to make friends. I was here because I had to be. I couldn't make friends. Particularly not with Pearl, she was sweet and all, but too fragile for me and my world._

'_**Like Toby.**_' _The thought crossed my mind before I could stop it. I cursed myself, as I do every day, for his fate._

'_I'll write it down for you then. What's yours?' She was already digging around in her bag. I could hear the last students in the building besides us leaving, closing the double glass doors shut as they did so. I heard the small clang of metal hitting metal as the door clicked. 'Anna?'_

'_Oh, sorry, I don't know mine.'_

'_Send me a text later when you've charged yours, then I'll get it.' She grinned. I watched her write out the number. She wrote slowly. I examined her with my eyes, her skin was a slightly off-white colour, she wasn't fully British. She had eyes that stuck out of her head, and dishwater blonde hair, slightly brown where the light wasn't hitting it._

'_Right.' I nodded. She handed me the piece of paper, I looked at the number on it then pocketed it. As she'd moved, the scent of her had hit me. Mediterranean blood. Curiosity got the better of me and I asked her. 'Where are from, anyways?'_

'_Huh?'_

'_What country?'_

'_Oh. Italy.'_

'_You're Italian?'_

'_Half. Apparently.'_

'_Ahh. I see.'_

'_How did you know I wasn't all English?'_

'_Who is pure Brit nowadays?' I laughed a little._

'_True.' She was watching me carefully; my eyes strayed to the watch on her wrist. Twenty to four. Greta would be at the house by four._

'_Look, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow.' I hurried out the door._

'_Bye.' She watched me as I went, her expression: puzzled. Something about that made me nervous. Pearl didn't seem like the type who would be past digging around a bit. Walking towards the house, I listened out. Greta was only around the corner and moments after I had shut the porch door behind me the sound of her car pulling up interrupted me from undoing my shoe laces._


	5. Texting

The plastic hitting the arm of the sofa made a dull thwacking sound. Anna sighed.

'_**How the bloody Hell do I get this thing to turn on**__?_' She'd ignored Greta's presence and had pretended that, when Greta had gone into the kitchen to have 'a catch-up' with Hope, she had no reason to believe that they would be talking about her. Anna squeezed the phone in her hand. She HAD plugged in to charge just in case, she couldn't remember the last time she'd used it. She shut her eyes tight and her grip grew rapidly stronger, then the phone bleeped and the screen lit up. '_**Success**__!_' Anna jumped up from the sofa before wondering why she was so pleased with herself. '_**It's not like you're going to be meeting up with this kid anyway.**_'

The sound of cups clinking from the kitchen was annoying to Anna. She composed a text out of boredom.

'Hey Pearl it's Anna. You got my number now!' It took her while but she found herself adding Pearl's number to the recipients list. Greta opened the door; for once Anna had been so distracted that she hadn't heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. She jumped, her hand slipped, the message was sent.

'_**Damn it!**_'

'Anna!'

'He-llo.'

'You sound cheerful!'

'No, more surprised actually, you see, you gave me a fright and I sent this text I didn't mean to send and-yeah.'

'Make any friends?'

'I talked to this girl. Does that count?'

'It's a start.' Greta smiled and behind her Hope came through the door.

'Dinner in twenty minutes, Anna.'

'I'll leave you in peace, then.'

'Oh, Greta, thank you so much for stopping by, Anna will you see her out please?'

'Thank you, Anna.' Greta said as she opened the door. 'It's good to see you did get on okay today.'

'Mm.'

'I'll see you soon, then. Have a good rest of the week, not long until the weekend!'

'It's only Tuesday.' Anna struggled to hide the tone of confusion and exasperation.

Greta laughed.

'Always cynical. Goodbye, Anna!'

Anna said nothing and made her way back to the living room. She was hungry. She sighed at the thought of sitting through yet another meal that she knew she wouldn't eat. Resting her head against the back of the sofa, she felt the seat begin to vibrate. She shoved her hand down the gap between one seat and another and retrieved her phone. She had a message.

'Yay! Do u want to meet me somewhere before school 2morrow? U should b/c Brook will have it in for u! Txt me x'

Anna smirked. What was she scared of this Brook for anyway? It was obviously more Pearl's fear of walking into school alone than Anna's that made her agree.

'Sure. Meet me…' Anna paused, and then thought, with a pang, of the only place both of them would be able to get to easily that was on their route to school. '…at the top of Fleet St. By the phone box. 8:15?'

'Yeah. C u then! '

'Anna, dinner!'

Her hunger returned. No skipping going out in favour of watching television tonight or ever again so long as she was at a school. Anna sighed.

'_**This sucks!**_'


	6. Dead End

_Hope was in an unusually good mood. This was good for me; however, I could get away with eating less. When I say 'eating', I mean 'stashing away'. Having lived with her for nearly seven months now, I was used to how easy it was to give her the slip when it came to food. For me, that had never been a problem. I slipped food in my pockets when no eyes were on me. It was a trick I used to use with my mum, she tried but food wasn't of a great standard. Plus, she wasn't the smartest so she was easy to trick._

_I went upstairs after dinner and stared at the ceiling._

'_**Come on, Hope, go to bed. I need to go out and eat, Love. Your food won't sustain me!**__'_

_The clouds parted and a small stream of light splashed across the bland carpet. I sighed. When summer rolls round, I spend my time hiding from the sun and coating my pale skin in SPF50 every few hours. Other than that, the sun saps my energy and makes me hungry more often, the previous summer I had resorted to carrying round a flask of 'tomato juice' in case. Finally, I heard her shout up the stairs._

'_Anna!' She sounded happy, 'I'm going to bed. You should get some sleep too, it's nearly ten o'clock!'_

'_Yeah, I will, de-don't worry!'_

'_Okay. If I don't see you tomorrow have a nice day at school!'_

'_I'll do me best.'_

_She went to bed. I waited, she went mad when she found out I went out after dark. In foster care, you have a curfew of nine thirty. The clock in the hallway ticked, I listened to it, counting the seconds along with it._

_I listened to the sound of Hope breathing next door when it became feasible that she be asleep. Nearly, she was in the REM stage. I'd read about stages of sleep years ago when I was interested in what Mr Freud had to say and since the information was both relevant and useful, I had retained it. The hunger was getting worse; I could feel my stomach rumbling. Hope's breathing got deeper._

'_**Yes!**__'_

_I set off. Where for tonight? I thought the station was a good place. Platform 6 was always deserted at that time; it was the train that came from the West Side of town's stop. There was hardly anyone there at that time of night. Ever._

_I sat down next to the bench, my head sandwiched between my knees. I whimpered softly. I knew what I was doing. Long minutes came and went then the sounds of footsteps reached me, a passenger, female, healthy. My sounds got louder, until the footsteps stopped. Change of course._

'_**Come on! Get a little closer.**__'_

'_Hello?' Harsh voice. Posh accent, Southern._

'_Help me…' I breathed into the practically empty station._

'_Is there somebody there?'_

_I moaned._

'_Help…' My voice sounded like it was about to break. Exactly what I'd aimed for._

'_Hello?' She stood not far away from me; I could taste the scent she was giving off, my mouth watered._

'_I'm here…' My voice wavered, it was the hunger doing that – I wasn't even having to try._

'_Ohh!' She came closer and crouched down in front of me. 'Are you okay?'_

_I said nothing._

'_Why are you here all alone?'_

'_I want to go home.'_

'_How old are you, Sweetie?'_

'_Eleven.' She'd never know I lied._

'_Come on.' She reached hand under my arms and eased me closer to her. She held one arm round my back and kept the other against my other arm; I was leaning on her shoulder with my forehead touching her neck. How close I was to my goal._

'_Now, where do you li-'My teeth sank in, I bit down, the flesh was easily penetrated. No match for my little daggers!_

_She slumped to the side and I followed the movement of her body, I leaned with her. Nothing was going to stop me having my food now. Not now I was so hungry and I had put on SUCH a good show. I ignored the usual sting that those thoughts brought. They're what come forward from the deep part of me that changed when that FIEND ended my mortal life and they reminded me of Mr Todd. The flow of blood through her artery became slower; I had to suck harder if I wanted anything. I knew time was up in the throat department._

_I moved onto the wrist, there is never as much there, but still enough to get that final level of sustenance. The woman blinked and choked when my lips brushed her neck for the last time, a droplet of crimson life escaped – I caught it with my tongue. She didn't stir but I could feel her pulse with that final touch. I knew she had very little strength in her left now…that meant I had to hurry up._

_I bit down into the wrist. More liquid was pumped into my mouth but the forceful current slowed nearly immediately. With a resounding thud, the woman hit the floor. Being my nosey self, I took a look in her hand bag; there was only the normal stuff. Keys and a mobile phone and a purse. She had an ID but I wasn't interested in names, that would make it personal, and I'd feel bad. Forms of guilt would not be good for me, they would destroy me. She had money which wasn't something I needed, I left it. Nothing was taken, but then I noticed something. It was only small and laying at the bottom of the bag. If my heart was still beating, I'm sure it would have stopped. It was a business card reading:_

'Kwik copying service!

186, Fleet Street.

Always happy to help!'

_I pocketed it. Since I was meeting Pearl there in the morning I could get there early, take a look. I'd passed that street many times since I'd been back in London, waited at the top of it when I waited for the bus from being at the shops almost every week but I had never ventured near the shop. Now I was tempted._

_That night I wandered the streets. I walked round to the back of the shop, where the entrance to the sewers used to be, they used to back onto the open end of mum's backhouse. I followed their winding path round to the place where the ground used to change and the heat from the furnace could be felt, then the furnace could be seen in all its glory._

'_**If health and safety saw that nowadays they'd have a fit!**__' I smiled to myself, a smile that was soon to fade when I saw that the glowing bricks of the bake house couldn't be seen, replaced by a brick wall. New bricks, they could only have been just over a hundred years there._

_The bricks that would forever block my mum's execution spot were younger than me._


	7. Family

For once the night dragged on, Anna couldn't wait to see the sunrise. She climbed the wall of the Fleet Street building and carefully navigated the small window in the roof, peeping through as she did so. The barber's chair was gone, replaced by photocopiers. She pulled her way up the steep slope of the tiles, using the chimney as a grip. The bricks were as black as she remembered them, and when the wind blew in the right direction, she could smell the lingering odour of burning human body.

London woke before Anna's eyes, the commuters came by more regularly, shops began to open and the roads clogged with early morning traffic. The sun rose from behind the horizon and Anna watched it, memories flooding back to her. Toby had begged her to take him up to that roof; he'd loved the rising sun. Reluctantly, she'd agreed and, before he awoke, the pair had climbed through Mr Todd's roof window and clung to the chimney as light illuminated the city. The smog had been below them, they felt like they couldn't be touched. Then they'd heard shouting. Mrs Lovett frantic, wondering where the children had gone. Anna had put her finger to her lips and they'd silently giggled until Toby slipped and fell over the sky window, alerting Mr Todd, then they saw they had no way to get down so they tried to fit back through the window. Toby could manage but Anna, older and carrying more weight, could not. They'd borrowed the neighbour's wooden ladder and Mr Todd had reached up to get her, he'd been angry but Anna had liked the roof, and hadn't minded the lecture that followed and her mum's claims that she had 'almost given me a bloomin' heart attack, Anna!'

Breaking Anna from her reverie, from the street below she heard;

'It's seven o'clock, Heston, we can't do it now!'

'_**Snap!**_'

Anna scrambled past the chimney, waiting until the street was clear before she made the jump, hitting the floor didn't hurt as it should have. She rolled to slow her momentum.

'Hey, what the-'She stood and spun round to face the man entering the now courier/copying shop. She smiled in a cheerful manner but the man looked shocked. Anna was still covered in blood. She scarpered, as fast as her immortal body would carry her. Once a safe distance away, she looked back to spy on the man, whose business partner had now arrived.

'_**Oh-oh!**_' She waited, biting her lip, a grin playing around her mouth. Anticipation bubbled up in her from her position behind the fence. Short lived pleasures these were but they gave her momentary amusement.

'…all covered in blood, and-and her hair! It was wild, crazy curls, right down to the middle of her back, all auburn and blood soaked! She was pale, too, mate, I swear I just saw a ghost!'

'Oh yeah.' His partner laughed, 'What, were her eyes red too?'

'No…brown, but a really deep brown colour, she smiled at me. It was like looking into the abyss!'

'Alright, Barry, whatever you say.' He moved to open the door.

'Wow…' The man, Barry, staggered in after his friend, taking one last longing look around the street. Giving him one last glimpse to talk about, Anna slipped out from where she stood and waved. When he blinked, she was gone.

Never before had Anna taken such care over choosing an outfit. Today, she was trying to find one minus the blood stains. For some reason, she didn't think that Pearl would believe the usual excuse of a nosebleed that she spun on everyone else that asked. Call it paranoia, but Anna felt that Pearl was already onto the fact that she had a secret never to be told.

'Anna! Are you up?'

'Yeah.'

'I'm going to work, will you be okay getting to school?'

'Yeah.'

'See you later.'

'Yeah.'

She heard the door shut and continued with her activities. A pair of jeans and a very old Black Sabbath t-shirt later, and Anna was out the door, off to meet Pearl.

'Anna!' Pearl hurtled towards her from the end of the road. Anna froze when Pearl threw her arms around her neck.

'_**Oh 'eck, it's a good thing I ate!**_'

'Man alive, Pearl!' Anna stepped backwards, pushing her away, 'gimme some space, it's early!'

'Sorry.' She grinned. 'Can we go the newsagent's first?'

'Yeah, 'fyou like.'

They walked down the road, Pearl chattered incessantly the whole way. Anna pushed the door open and they walked in.

'_**Cor, this kid could eat for London!**_' Anna watched Pearl grabbing sweets from the shelves. Then she whittled it down to what she could afford. Anna frowned.

'What cha' doing?'

'Picking what I want.'

'How much you got?'

'50p.'

She moved to the counter and smiled timidly at the shop keeper. Anna used this opportunity to put her quick reflexes into action by slipping various products into her satchel.

'You not getting anything?'

'Ahh, no, I'm not into this stuff.'

'Oh.' Pearl led the way out of the shop and towards the school. 'I hate this weather, you know…'

'Huh?'

'The sun. It annoys me.'

'What?' Anna laughed, 'why?'

'It's too cheerful, you know? Plus I always get burned!'

'Aha, yeah, I get that.' Anna shuddered.

They passed a billboard for a local newspaper, the words 'WOMAN FOUND DEAD AT TRAIN STATION' emblazoned across it.

'That's horrible.' Said Pearl, looking sick.

'Yeah, just nasty…' Anna averted her eyes.

'Anna?'

'Mm?'

'Why are you in foster care? I know about your mum and dad but…'

They cut across the park; Anna looked to the swings, creaking in the breeze, covered in early morning dew. She imagined the children playing there. In the sun, with their parents. Jealousy bubbled up inside her.

'_**They all deserve to d-**_'

'Anna?'

'I have no family to live with.'

'No other family?'

'I had a brother.'

'Is he older or younger than you?'

'You mean 'was', he's dead too.'

'Oh.'

The silence took them and cradled them, Anna felt safe in it. The day had barely begun, school hadn't even started and Anna wanted to go home.

'_**Home…**_'


	8. Toffees

No person could remain inactive for long. Once provoked past a point of no return one would always snap. Anna knew this and had just demonstrated the theory with an experiment involving Brook Coulter's head colliding with Anna's rolling pin.

'Why did you hit her, Anna? You must have known how dangerous that would be!'

'She was trying to knock Pearl's bowl over and wouldn't listen when I tol' her to stop so I hit her. It was only a soft wood rolling pin…'

'Only a-! Anna!'

'She's not nice, Mrs., really, she ain't.'

'Anna. Brook is in hospital with concussion, that was not a soft hit.' She sighed, sinking into her chair.

'Well.' Anna sighed too.

'_**They never do get it do they? Bloody authorities!**_'

'I don't know what you want me to say, Mrs.'

'This isn't a good start, Anna.'

''know.' A smile slipped across Anna's face, out in the hallway, she could hear Pearl in the hall, trying to eavesdrop.

'_**Bless 'er…**_'

'Since I can see that you were provoked, I'll let it slide, Anna, FOR NOW. If Brook's parents make a fuss then I will have to take action. Instant action.'

'They mus' know their daughter's a little cow.'

'Anna, you're dismissed, go and take lunch break five minutes early and don't cause trouble in Home Economics again, please.'

'Yeah, Mrs, thanks for that.' She stood and walked the door.

'And Anna?'

'Mm?'

'Do speak properly.'

'Sorry, I do try an' speak proper.' Anna ignored her words of how that was most positively not speaking properly and joined Pearl in the hallway.

'What did she say to you?'

'Ahh, nothin' really, just to watch me temper and all that.'

'And to speak properly.' Pearl giggled.

'Yeah that an' all.'

'Where do you come from, though, Anna?'

'You what?'

Pearl laughed again.

'Your accent, where's it from?'

'Here.'

'Here? You're the only person I know who speaks like that!'

''cause I'm special.' Anna said with a wink, wanting to get off the subject of her old fashioned cockney dialect. She'd had enough for one day. That's what had made her hit Brook.

'You shouldn't get into trouble for me, you know.'

''sno trouble.'

They rounded the corner. Brook's friends watched Anna with a mixture of fear and disgust. Pearl stopped walking; Anna could almost smell her fear. Her heart rate had increased.

'_**Better go first, then.**_' She strolled casually over to them; Carys (Brook's second in command) moved to block her path. With a sigh heavily laden with exasperation, Anna said;

''Scuse me dearies.'

They laughed.

'Who do you think you are?'

'We've been through this, I swear…'

'Think you're a clever one, don't you?'

'Nope. I know so.'

'Right, you littl-'

'What's going on?'

They turned, hurrying away as the P.E teacher, Miss Lance, stood behind them. Anna sighed, relieved.

'Nothin', Miss.'

'You're new, aren't you?'

'Yeah.'

'What's your name?'

'Anna Lovett.'

'Lovett?' She laughed. 'Well, that's nice.' She walked away, still chuckling to herself as she entered the staff room. 'Poor kid out there, did you hear that, her last name? Like something out of bloody…what's his name, Jack the Ripper? Oh God-'

'Cheeky bugger.' Anna turned to Pearl, who was still rooted to the spot, 'Ain't nothing funny about my name.'

Pearl shook her head.

'You 'right?'

'Yes…just a little...rattled.'

'Ahh, ignore 'em. They're no good.'

'Yes, I guess. You want to get lunch?'

'Uhh, I'm not hungry, but I'll come with you.'

'Okay.' Pearl smiled, still looking unnerved and led Anna to the canteen. It was busy, noisy and smelled bad. To Anna, anyway.

'What kind o'…food.' Anna dodged a piece of lettuce strayed from a food fight, 'do they serve here?'

'Just normal stuff. Mostly vegetarian, actually.' She picked up a tray. Anna pulled a face.

'_**No chance of a meat pie, then…**_'

'Appetizing.'

Pearl giggled. That's when a large amount of salad cream splattered into the back of Anna's head.

'SHOT!' She heard, turning to see the perpetrator high-5 a friend.

She sighed. This was going to be a long day.

Anna cursed whoever came up with her timetable, the last lesson of the day was chemistry, a subject Anna hated, and a subject in which she was not in Pearl's class. They had agreed to meet at the front gates when lessons had finished, but now, leaning against those gates, with no Pearl in sight and getting buffeted by the crowds, Anna was ready to bite someone's head off – literally.

'_**It's like bloody St Dunstan's on a Saturday morning!**_'

Eventually, Pearl was sighted and Anna ran to her gratefully.

'Took your time, love!' She laughed.

'Sorry.' Pearl looked behind her, 'had to avoid Carys.'

'Ah. Yeah, better had for now, I'm givin' her a wide berth too!'

'Ready?'

'God yeah!'

They left the grounds and headed through the park, Pearl was trying to get Anna to eat sweets.

'Go on, just try one, you'll like it!'

'No, really, I don't like any of it.'

'Who doesn't like sweets? Go on…please?'

'Listen, why you so keen to get me to eat, eh?'

'You haven't eaten anything all day.'

'Not hungry.'

'You must be!' Pearl forced a toffee into Anna's hand

'Pearl!' Anna laughed, 'gimme a break!' They rounded the corner and froze. Brook's group, led by Carys, were standing in wait.

'Anna…' Pearl warned her as she approached.

'So if it isn't little Miss Lovett.' Carys sneered as she took a step forward. 'I owe you a favour.'

'You owe me a 'thank you'.' Anna heard Pearl gasp and a murmur of anger and surprise from those standing behind Carys.

'You think you call the shots don't you?' Carys strode forward, exuding confidence, this wasn't her first fight, this wasn't the first time she'd broken the confidence of someone she disliked, this wasn't the first time she'd done someone damage. 'Let's see how you look with a broken nose, shall we?' She drew back her hand.

Anna stood, allowing her fist to fly forwards. For Anna's exceptional eyesight, this wasn't a problem. She waited until Carys was millimetres from the end of her nose before she reacted, her hand flying up and catching round Carys' fingers. In one swift, fluid movement, Anna's opponent was sprawled on the floor, a look of shock on her face. Carys lifted her hand and saw, along with everyone else, the bruises made by Anna's hand closing around her own. She raised her head to see Anna and gasped, scrambling backwards over the woodland floor, as the rest of the group dispersed. She'd noticed the change; the primal instinct Anna held had taken over.

'You're a psycho!' Carys yelled and she backed away, now on her feet. Instinct kicked in, Anna stalked forwards, slightly too fast. Carys screamed and hurried away. When she was at the other end of the park path, she called again the insult, 'psycho!' before running.

Anna turned and walked back to Pearl, who was sitting on a tree stump biting her nails.

'Are you hurt?' She asked.

'Nah, she didn't get me.' Anna smiled gently.

'How did you-never mind.' They walked down the path. Pearl glanced at Anna again, 'Hey, what's up with your eyes?'

'What?' Anna suddenly felt alarmed.

'They've gone all wide and bright…'

'Oh.' Anna desperately tried to change topic. 'Maybe they won't bother you now.'

'Maybe. Anna…please eat the toffee now.'

Relenting, Anna unwrapped it and, taking a deep breath, she chewed and swallowed it as quickly as possible. She shuddered.

'See? Don't like 'em, me.'

'Yes. That's odd, you know. I think they're the best.'

Anna smiled and they walked in silence, she felt something wet run down her upper lip. They reached her turning point.

'This is where we go in different directions.' Anna stopped and faced Pearl.

'Yes, can we mee-Anna!'

'What?' Anna's eyes shifted in confusion.

'I thought you said that Carys didn't get you!'

'Mm.' Realization dawned on her. Anna reached up her sleeve to catch the blood dripping from her nose before it ran down her chin and onto her t-shirt. 'She didn't. See you tomorrow.'

'Can we meet again?'

'If you want to, love. Same place, same time, see you then.'

'Bye.' Pearl walked to the end of the street and waved but when she turned round, Anna was already gone.


	9. White Dress

_Bloody awful would be the only way to describe that day and to top it all off my nose was gushing blood like nobody's business._

'_**Never again. I'm never gonna eat toffees again!**__'_

_Unfortunately, my constitution is not equipped to digest the likes of human food so rejects it in the only way it knows how, a damn inconvenient way at that!_

_My head was bent low over the sink so I didn't bleed all over Hope's lino or bathroom carpet, my blood sticks to everything and is a really deep red colour (almost black) so I didn't want to have to explain why it was all over the floor to Hope. I'd gone through nearly a whole roll of toilet paper already and it showed no signs of slowing. I sighed. This amount of blood loss would mean having to get food again in order to replenish my energy and after the day I'd had, I didn't feel up to it._

'_**The neighbours have chickens…**__' I pushed that thought out of my mind quickly, as I can still remember the last time that I decided to eat near the house and I doubted that I'd be so fortunate again._

_A small wave of sadness washed over me. I used to like toffees. Me and mum and Toby used to share them, they only cost a penny from the sweet shop down the street although a penny was worth a lot more then._

_I was glad that Hope was going out that evening. It meant I was free to go out too. I prepared well for tonight, realizing that I wouldn't have time to wash clothes for tomorrow. I wore the white dress that was already ruined with blood stains. To create the image of someone in bed, I shoved various items of clothing under the covers and used a china doll with hair almost the same colour as mine to be at the top. Hope wouldn't tell the difference in the dark._

_It was cold that night. Not the actual air, just the breeze. I wandered down to the alley I had discovered behind mum's old shop in Fleet Street. I knew from the bottles and packets I had seen but not properly registered last time I was there that it must be a familiar point for the homeless. Easy targets for my nocturnal jaunts. I was in luck. There was a man and he was alone._

'_**Here goes.**__'_

_He didn't hear me, I doubt he even knew what happened, my teeth were in his jugular before he even had a chance to catch a sight of his killer. I spat out the first few mouthfuls, they tasted weird, tainted by drugs and alcohol. Easy targets but not ones that provided much sustenance. I slipped round to the front of the shop, planning to head down to the station again, while there was still time to catch the last train. I didn't like going to the same place twice in a row, safe bet not to go back there in the same week, even, but these were desperate times and desperate measures were called for._

_I stood watching the flickering stars in the sky, dreamily. That's when everything began to go wrong, I suppose, I let my guard down for a minute and sauntered into the road without paying attention. A car sped round the corner, and in my oblivious mindset I didn't notice it in time to move, nor did the driver notice me, for he was too busy talking on his mobile phone._

'_No, don't worry, I'll nip back in, get them now and-JESUS!'_

_The car hit me, I felt myself crash to the floor. If my skin wasn't so hard I'm sure it would have split on impact but as it was, the only evidence of the hit was the dull thud of me hitting the concrete and the panicked voice of the driver on his phone._

'_I-I-I-I just hit somebody! Shit! I'll call you back – oh shit!' He struggled with the car door, fumbling in his nervousness before finally freeing himself and hurrying around the bonnet of the car. To where I lay. I saw him coming and leapt out from under the car to my feet. He stared at me, scared and confused, before recognition dawned on the pair of us at the same time. It was the man from the shop I had waved at earlier._

'_It's you…' he breathed 'what are you-' then he saw my dress and the bloodstains, both on the material and dripping down my chin, his eyes widened. My horrified expression matched his. Now I had no choice, and I was so very hungry…_

_He backed towards his car; he must have noticed something in my change of expression. With a last animalistic screech I threw myself towards him, he clearly hadn't banked on my strength because he put his hands up to protect himself. Easily, and with a crack, I snapped both his arms behind him, dislocating his shoulders. He yelled. I screamed again, matching his hollering with my own. I dug my teeth in to silence him, but missed his neck. I caught his collar bone and felt my teeth scrape the bone. He fell to the ground underneath my weight. I went in for the kill, hitting the artery perfectly. His head jerked, dislodging my teeth from the holes they had made and spraying his blood over my face. I screamed again and twisted his head round further, his neck snapped. He stopped screaming; only twitching a little as I took my fill. Once even that had stopped, I checked the front of the car, my eyes scanning it for my finger prints or anything incriminating. I was lucky, there was nothing. Then I went home, taking the back streets and avoiding the street lights._

_So as not to wake Hope, I climbed in through my bedroom window. As I moved to sit down on my bed, I saw my reflection in the mirror, illuminated by the moonlight. My eyes were wild, my clothes covered in another's life, my respect for life gone. Before I knew what I was doing, I flew towards my reflected self and smashed my fist hard into it, I watched the pieces shatter and fall to the floor. Then I collapsed into bed._


	10. Dangerous

Anna didn't notice the sun rising or the time passing. She was disturbed from her trance-like state by her mobile phone ringing. It took her a moment to realize that she should pick it up. When she did, she was greeted by Pearl's hurried voice.

'Anna? It's me, Pearl. Listen, we can't meet at Fleet Street today, so, God, I hope you haven't already started to make your way there.'

'Oh, okay.' Anna didn't need telling why, but a panic rose in her stomach when she lifted the phone from her ear to see the time and realized that, if she was going to meet Pearl anywhere, she had twenty minutes to get ready.

There was a pause.

'Aren't you going to ask why?' Pearl sounded a little surprised.

'Oh, yeah, sorry love, why can't we meet there?'

There was another, longer pause.

'Pearl?'

'Oh, sorry, miles away. There's been another murder, Anna, that's the second night in a row! This time it's on Fleet Street, the police have cordoned the whole road off; I saw it on the news!'

'How drama'ic.' Anna's voice sounded flat, she didn't think it wise to try and fake enthusiasm.

'It is! It's a man this time, the police can't see any connection in the killings, apart from there's been very little blood left in the bodies when they're found!' She shuddered, 'like some vampire's been at them or something.'

'So where shall I meet you?'

'Oh, errm…the park? We could go on the swings for a bit?'

'Yeah, yeah, great. I have to go now, but I'll see you soon.'

'Alright, bye!'

'Bye.' Anna said after she'd pressed the button to end the call on her phone. She turned to the broken mirror. She was still wearing the white dress.

'_**Damn it, God in Heaven, damn it!**_' Ripping it from her body, she grabbed the first clothes she saw, jeans and a t-shirt and threw on a necklace for some variation. She was about to leave when she realized that she hadn't yet washed her face or hair. A quick trip to the bathroom sorted that out, she was ready within minutes.

'Why the running, Anna?' Hope called to her as she got out the door, Anna didn't say anything back. She took the quiet way, allowing her to run at HER natural speed every now and again, until she got to the park. Pearl was already there waiting.

'Morning!' She called, smiling. Her expression melted into a frown as Anna got closer. 'Your hair…'

'What about it?' Anna grabbed a handful of her damp locks and watched Pearl.

'It's…dripping-'

'Well, yes, wet hair does do that!' Anna laughed.

'It's red!' Pearl moved backwards unconsciously, her heart beating faster than she thought it should, more than was reasonable for such a situation.

'Oh…errm, yes, another nosebleed.'

'You should go to the doctor about those…' she still looked suspicious.

'Well, I cut my hand on a broken mirror…'

'Seven years bad luck for that.'

'I know.' Anna cringed. The only real bad luck she could have would be someone finding out her Secret.

'Let me see your hand.'

'What?'

'I want to see it.'

'What do you want to see?'

'The cut.'

'Oh, wow, no Pearl, there's no need for that.' Anna slipped her hand behind her back, the scab was black – the colour of her blood. No way could Pearl see that.

'I want to.'

'I DON'T want you to. Pearl, give it up!' Anna moved away from Pearl's grasping hands, Pearl reached again, once more, Anna evaded her. She knew she should slow down her movements, but, like a trapped animal, when she was cornered, Anna went into Fight or Flight.

'Anna, let me-' she caught hold of Anna's top. Shocked, Anna screamed, pushing her away – a little too hard. Pearl hit the ground hard. Without a second though, Anna pounced, Pearl's turn to scream. Anna froze.

'_**Oh, 'eck, what have I done?**_'

'I'm sorry.' Anna jumped up. 'I'm sorry!' She backed away.

'Anna…' Pearl got up, looking dazed. 'What's wrong?'

'I'm sorry, stay away from me.'

'No, Anna, are you okay?'

Anna stopped.

'What?'

'Your eyes…' Pearl came over and this time Anna let her, she reached up a hand to brush past Anna's eye. Her finger came away bloody.

'_**No, no, no! Anna, you silly woman, you'll give yourself away at this rate. Stop crying!**_'

'Oh.' Anna brushed the rest away herself. Her voice shook slightly.

'What-.' Pearl said quietly.

'We should go in now.' Anna's quiet voice matched Pearl's.

'Why?'

'The bell just rang.'

'I didn't hear it.'

'I did. Trust me.'


	11. Isolated Again

Lonely as she felt, Anna did her best to avoid Pearl that day. Pearl however, did the exact opposite. She tailed Anna everywhere. They didn't say much to each other, but for once, Anna was glad that she wasn't alone. Everywhere she looked, there were people in groups of friends, laughing, joking.

'You want to go somewhere after school?' Pearl asked immediately after the bell rang. Anna considered, but, realizing now the danger that she posed to anyone, especially those closest to her, she declined.

'No, thanks love. I have to go out tonight anyway.'

'Where you going?'

'Out.' She sighed. 'I'm sorry. Pearl, I like you, you're a nice kid…Hell, you're a great friend too. The thing is, we CAN'T be friends, it just can't be. I'm too…'

'You're too what?' Pearl almost whispered it. Anna felt a stab of guilt, driving right through her, puncturing her insides and making her stomach feel numb and her mouth feel dry.

'Too unnatural.'

'You're…not. Not to me! Anna please!' She began as Anna turned away. 'You're the only friend I've ever had; no one else has ever talked to me before. I don't think you're weird or unnatural or anything else, please, Anna LISTEN TO ME!' Her voice made Anna stop and turn.

'You have to understand, this is not what I wanted to do. Pearl, why do you think I didn't want to talk to you to begin with when I first started here?'

'Anna, that was only two days ago! You're talking like you've been here forever!'

'WHAT IF I HAVE BEEN HERE FOREVER?'

They both stopped. Pearl felt hot tears spill over her eyes. Anna's shouting was a horrible sound, it was like her voice turned to ice, grew, filled up the room. She could feel her anger, her pain, her guilt. Her sadness.

'Anna.' Pearl said, her voice trembling, as she watched Anna move for the door a little too quickly.

'Yes…' Anna's voice wasn't steady either.

'Don't do anything stupid. Please.'

Anna turned, ignoring the wetness dripping from her eyes, waiting until she turned around to wipe it away.

'I don't do stupid.'

Anna's next task: getting more food. She was hungry. And alone. After being alone for so long she thought she'd be used to it but, before having a friend, even if it was only for a couple of days, she hadn't known what she could have. Now she missed it. Like a physical ache. Eventually she dragged herself away from the broken shards of mirror and out into the night. Once again, she wore her white dress; the blood from the previous evening had dried from Anna stuffing the dress behind the radiator to hide it earlier. She was oblivious to the world, more so than the previous night, though she now took care to avoid cars. She wanted to run once she got into the open but knew that this was only draw attention to herself and since everyone was on alert after the two previous killings, this meant that Anna had to be extremely nondescript.

She was so intent on her goal, that she didn't notice the sound of shoes squeaking behind her.


	12. Promises

_I went home. I couldn't let myself cry in front of people, I mean, who in the world cries blood? Apart from me? No one, that's who. I sighed and slammed my bedroom door. Hope was out, where I had no idea. I was glad that she wasn't there, but at the same time, I didn't want to be alone. I have no idea how long I lay on my bed for, alone, but I heard Hope come home. I heard her tell me she'd leave my dinner in the microwave, I heard her go to bed early as she was tired._

_Then I picked up a shard of the broken mirror and flinched at my reflection. My face pale, blood stained by my own tears, my lips a reddish brown colour and my eyes black, fuelled in their colour by the intensity of my emotions._

_I remembered a time when I liked my reflection, the only other time I could remember looking at it. It was mum's opening night for the refurbished pie shop. We had to dress nicely, all of us. I looked in the mirror then. I liked what I saw. I actually liked how I looked. I wasn't as pretty, my skin wasn't as pale, my hair not as shining and my curves not as defined, but I liked what I saw. I was looking in the mirror in our living room type effort. Mum had been watching me, I smoothed the corset of my dress, and turned to ask her what I was meant to be doing that evening, but she was already watching me, she had tears in her eyes._

'_What's wrong, mum?'_

'_You're beautiful, love, that's all.' She wiped her eyes, 'don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise and don't you ever change!'_

_Now I remembered that and it was my turn to cry. Again. I hated it. I looked at myself and I HAVE changed. I look ghostly, dead. And I was alone. I was hungry. I could smell Hope's blood from the other room so I went out. I put the white dress on again, I didn't dare look in the mirror again, I knew it would only accentuate my pale skin and contrasting dark hair._

_I was lost in my own world as I walked down the street; I was heading back for the homeless peoples' hang out this evening. There had been no mention of a dead homeless man being found in the news, so I took it that, if he HAD been found, they'd put it down to suicide, as I'd hoped._

_I didn't get as far as the homeless peoples' place of choice however. An intoxicated man staggered towards me halfway down Fleet Street._

'_You alright, darlin'?' He slurred, 'you offering, a nice girl like you.'_

_I stopped to face him._

'_Woohoo! You danger! Come here then darlin', let's have a bit!'_

_I let him walk closer, thinking he was going to get some. I blocked the rest of the world out, and that was probably why, when I sprung at him, I didn't hear the sound of anyone coming up behind me. Only when they were so close I could smell their familiar smell and hear their sharp intake of breath did I stop and turn. The drunken man twitched and blood gushed from my puncture marks. I faced my stalker. And froze._

'_Pearl' I couldn't help it. 'What. The. Shit.'_

'_I followed you.' That was quite unnecessary. I'd already worked that out._

'_Why?'_

'_I wanted to know what you were doing…' Her eyes flickered to the man on the ground, her face went white._

'_Why?' I repeated it._

'_I've had…suspicions since I first saw you. You seem so much older, an adult trapped in a child's body and…' She paused and I saw a laugh flicker across her face '…you're really pale. And when you ate the toffee, and with Brook and your hair with the blood and-'_

'_Now you see why we can't be friends?'_

'_No. Why can't we?'_

'_Pearl.' I looked around; I was still gobsmacked that she didn't get it. 'This is a secret you were never meant to find out. You CAN'T know it…' Horrible realization hit me as I trailed off at the end._

'_I do.' She said it bravely. Pearl, always brave._

'_It's too dangerous, Pearl. I could hurt you.'_

'_But you won't.'_

'_How do you work that one out, love? Look at what I just did!' I sighed. 'No one can know.' I waited for her to understand my implications, and I got ready to attack._

'_You could have hurt me earlier at the park; you could have already hurt me now: but you haven't.'_

'_No. It's not been easy,' My guard dropped, I laughed a little. Not a nice laugh, or even a genuine one, but an ironic sound full of hundreds of years of bitterness._

'_I trust you.' She came closer, to stand in front of me, by the body which was still leaking and twitching, I hadn't drank my fill._

'_**Pearl, you are taking a big risk here!**__'_

'_You're not supposed to know this, Pearl; it's a secret and a bloody dangerous one at that!'_

'_I can keep a secret.' She withdrew something shining silver from her pocket. 'Give me your hand. The one you cut earlier.'_

'_No. Why?'_

'_I'll go first, then.' She drew the object across her hand, from the blood that seeped from the gash it made, I worked out it was a blade. I could smell it. Strong, young, clean._

'_Are you stupid.' It wasn't a question. She was pushing it._

'_Maybe. Give me your hand.' When I didn't move, 'come on Anna, gimme it!'_

_I stretched my arm out towards her, struggling with all my power not to reach out and grab her wrist, drink her life._

_She ran the blade across the line of the cut. It didn't hurt me. My own blood formed small droplets, slowly. Pearl took my bloody hand in hers and we shook._

'_What…' I started._

'_It's a promise.' Said Pearl, 'I promise to keep your secret.'_

_I blinked back tears as I made my own promise._

'_I promise to keep you safe.'_


	13. Together

_We stood before I turned back to my 'meal'. I drained it. Every last drop. Then I turned back to Pearl._

'_You know what time it is?'_

_She consulted her phone screen._

'_Nearly one.'_

'_You should go to bed.'_

'_So should you.'_

'_I don't need to.'_

'_Hm.' She snorted. 'I should've known!'_

_We had school the next day, she couldn't be falling asleep._

'_I'll walk you home.' I offered. She looked stubborn, before seeing my point and giving in, allowing me to lead her away._

'_What do you do with that?'_

_I knew what she was referring to._

'_Leave it.' I walked faster; she had to run to keep up. Once we were where I deemed safe, I slowed, Pearl was out of breath. 'Not something I have to worry about.' I winked._

'_You're lucky!'_

'_No, I'm not. This ain't the great life, you know.'_

'_You never have to die. That must be good.'_

'_Not when you have nothing to live for.'_

'_You have me now.' She smiled innocently and I thought, for the thousandth time how much like Toby she was._

'_**So trusting and innocent.**__'_

'_Yes. I do.'_

_There was a silence for a short time, only time to take about six steps, before Pearl spoke again._

'_Who are you?'_

'_You what?'_

_She grinned, she loved the way I talked and that made me feel good._

'_Who are you, really?'_

'_Oh. I understand you.' I checked the street, all clear. 'I really am Anna. Anna Lovett. That really is my name.'_

'_I thought you made it up, as you must have to change it sometimes.'_

'_Yeah, I do. Back to being me for now, though.'_

'_Ahh, see, I thought you got it from like 'Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett', kind of appropriate, really. You know, eating people and all.'_

'_No.' The next part I blurted out without thinking 'they chose it for me.'_

_Pearl stopped._

'_What?'_

'_Pearl keep walking. I'm covered in blood here!'_

'_Sorry, but what do you mean they chose it for you?'_

'_I didn't choose my name, did i? My parents chose it!'_

'_So, your parents are…'_

'_Oh God, love, I forgot you didn't know!' I laughed, more than a bit hysterically. 'Yeah, my parents, at least I think so.'_

'_What are you talking about now?' She asked, breathlessly. I slowed my speed again, I hadn't even realized I was walking faster than normal._

'_Oh, it's complicated. The point is I don't know who my dad is, there's a choice of two.'_

'_Sweeney Todd and…'_

'_Albert Lovett. My mum's husband.'_

'_Oh.'_

'_He died before I was born. I don't know how it came to be that she didn't know who it was, I think a drunk New Year's Eve party saw to that but she was always straight with me about it, no messing about or nothin'.'_

'_So, did you really have a brother?'_

'_You what?' I said again._

'_Your brother. You told me that you had a brother and that he was…dead.'_

'_You can say it, love.'_

'_Did he really exist?'_

'_Yeah, but he wasn't my brother, not really. My mum took him in kind of thing, an' he called her mum, and called me his sister, so I rolled with it.'_

'_That was nice of her.'_

_I burst out laughing. Bless Pearl, always trying to see the good in everybody. Once I'd started, it was hard to stop. I made my laughing quieter as we got near residential areas and put a finger to my lips to keep Pearl quiet._

_We got to her door._

'_See you tomorrow.' I whispered._

'_Do you want to come in for a bit? I can lend you some clothes to go home in.'_

'_Errm, no I better no-' I caught sight of the look on her face. 'Oh go on, then!'_

_I passed her pictures in the hallway. A family of three._

'_That's my parents, she used her phone to illuminate the framed image._

'_I can see it, anyway.'_

'_Good night vision, Anna?' She asked cheekily._

'_Better believe it.' She didn't look like either of her parents, I noted that immediately._

'_This way, my bedroom's round here.' Pearl instructed, her bedroom was on the ground floor. An unusual set up. I liked it for that. And the fact that her bedroom was separated slightly from the rest of the house._

_She lent me some clothes. Jeans and a top. I washed my face and stuffed the dress into a bag. We stared at each other for a bit before I turned to leave._

'_You need to sleep, it's late.'_

'_Yes, I know. Can you meet me here in the morning-'_

'_It is the morning.' I grinned at the look on her face, I liked being pedantic sometimes._

'_Before school.'_

'_Sure.'_

'_So there's time for a lay in!' We said in unison. Then laughed._


	14. The Night Before

Surprisingly, Pearl had managed to get up in time that next morning. Anna arrived at eight o'clock and watched Pearl eat her breakfast.

'Don't watch me eat, it's weird!' Pearl said in between mouthfuls.

'You watched me.'

'Yeah, uh…' Pearl raised her eyebrows, 'It's a little different, don't you think?'

'Yeah.' Anna grinned, then heard shouting from the upper landing.

'Pearl, who have you let in? What time is it? Shouldn't you be going to school?'

'It's Anna, mum. We're leaving in a minute.'

'Who's Anna?'

'A friend of mine.'

'You should ask me before you let random teenagers in here!'

'Oh, give it a rest mum, we're leaving now anyway!'

Pearl got up and put her plate in the dishwasher.

'_**Fancy!**_' Thought Anna as she watched Pearl press a few buttons, and the machine started to whir with the flow of water.

'You ready?'

'Yeah.' She followed Pearl out the house, once again examining the pictures on the wall.

'Anna, do you ever get worried?'

'I worry all the time, dear, what about?'

'People finding out that you…what you eat?'

''Course I do.'

'Has anyone ever found out before?'

'Not as such.'

'It's just, I was there last night, and I had this dream about the police finding out and arresting both of us and-'

'Did you touch it?'

'Did i-no, you were there!'

'Exactly, you won't leave DNA, then. You were far enough away, it's fine.'

'What about you?'

Anna laughed.

'Right, and whose DNA will they compare it to? Even if they did run it through the system nothing would come up and there was no one else there so it's fine.'

'I guess.'

Pearl was right to be concerned, for when they got to school that morning, an assembly was called straight away.

'Now, pupils, you will probably have seen on the news that there's been another murder. This time, the victim was a member of staff here at this school.' The head teacher paused, allowing the news to sink in and the murmuring and gasps to die down. 'The police have been given a description-' Anna felt Pearl tense and heard her heart rate increasing next to her. '-of two people leaving the area last night. This is a very vague description but they wish to speak to any students with blonde or dark hair, as this is all they have to go on right now. A police officer will be in each classroom of students from year nine and above this morning in registration to take the names of anyone matching this description. Thank you for your cooperation and sorry that we have to tell you this, and for any inconvenience this may cause to both students and staff. You are dismissed.'

Whispering followed Anna and Pearl back to the classroom.

'Shit, Anna, I knew something was wrong!'

'Calm down, love. Did you hear that? Vague. And if they're going for thirteen year olds and above then they clearly 'ave no idea. Keep cool, you'll see.'

'How can you be so blasé?' Pearl sounded incredulous.

'Call it experience.' Anna answered wryly, pushing her way through the crowds to take the handle of the classroom door.

'Christ…' Pearl breathed when she noticed two uniformed police officers already waiting. They both let their eyes linger on Anna and Pearl for a moment before going back to their conversation. Anna was already sitting down at a table looking thoroughly nonplussed.

'Do your parents know you were out?'

'No. If they knew, they'd kill me!'

'There's your alibi.'

'I hadn't thought of that.'

Their teacher called the register, Anna was aware of the police officers taking down names in a small notebook as they went, both paused when they heard,

'Anna Lovett?'Followed by Anna saying,

'Yeah.' In her very obvious cockney accent.

'_**Laugh it up you cheeky buggers.**_'

Hope answered the door. Anna had been expecting it, all evening she had been expecting it and now the moment was here. She listened to Hope being asked questions.

'Ms. Jacobs?'

'Yes?'

'You are the foster carer of Anna Lovett, is that right?'

'That's right, what's the problem, officer?'

'There's no problem, but a member of staff from Anna's school was murdered last night, and a description was given of a young girl with dark hair and a young girl with blonde hair leaving the area around the time of the incident, so we're just checking up. It's procedural, you know.'

'I see. Shall I get Anna for you?'

Anna sat up, ready to face the questions, but lay back down again when she heard:

'No, no, leave her for now; we need to ask you some questions first.'

'I see. Would you care to sit down?'

'Thank you.' Anna heard them making themselves comfortable on the sofa. 'Now, Ms. Jacobs, Anna.'

'Yes?'

'It says in her file she has no recollection of her past?'

'No, she doesn't. They found her in the street, poor girl.'

'And how old was she?'

'It was only last year. She was almost sixteen.'

'So fifteen?'

'Yes.'

'Has Anna ever shown violence in the past?'

'Not since she's been with me no. She's very quiet actually, one of the more placid children I've looked after!'

'And where was she between…' Anna heard him consulting his notebook, the pages shuffling as he rifled through. '11:30pm last night and 1:30am this morning?'

'Well, she was here of course, in bed!'

'You know this for a fact.'

'Of course I do!' Anna heard Hope's voice rise in a defensive tone, they'd slighted her ability to keep her guard up.

'So there is no way Anna could have left the house at these times without you knowing? Or gone out beforehand without you realizing?'

'No.' Hope said flatly. 'Both front and back doors are alarmed; I turn the alarms on when I go to bed. Whenever someone goes in or out of the house, the alarm will go off, so I'd have known even if she HAD gone out before without me realizing as she wouldn't have been able to get back in. I went to bed at about 11:00, so the alarm would have gone off the moment she put her key in the door. I checked on her before I went to bed. She was in her room reading.'

'Any way she could have used the windows rather than the doors?'

'No. They windows are fitted with safety locks on the ground floor. The key is kept in the safe in my bedroom.'

'What about Anna's bedroom window? How safe is that?'

'Well, there's no safety lock on that!'

She saw them exchange a look.

'But I doubt anyone could get out of there without getting hurt! It's a sheer drop with a concrete landing, there's nothing to break a person's fall or even a window ledge on the outside. And there's even less chance of being able to get back in that way. There's no drainpipe or anything!'

'I see. Could we see?'

'This way.'

Anna picked up a random book and pretended to read. There was knock at her door.

'Anna? May I come in; the police want to ask you a few questions about the death of a teacher from your school.'

'Yeah, feel free.' As they entered, Anna put down her book, marking the page with a small fold of the corner. She had no intention however, of reading it.

'Hello, Anna. We just want to have a look at your window.' One of them said. 'We can manage Ms. Jacobs.'

Hope dithered for a moment, before going back downstairs.

The officers were peering out the window.

'No chance of getting in and out of there, is there now, Anna?' They gave her a fake smile and one of them kept their eyes on her for a little too long. 'May we sit down?'

'Of course.' Anna shifted up on the bed, making room for one of them, while the other sat on her desk chair.

'My name is DI Gross and this is DC Biggs. You know why we're here, I take it?' Said the one next to Anna on the bed.

'Yeah.'

'So Anna, we need to ask you a few questions.' DC Biggs said from the chair.

'Okay.' Anna smiled slightly, keeping her mouth closed, inexplicably self-conscious of her canines, which were a little too sharp even when she wasn't eating or about to eat.

'Where were you between 11:30pm last night and 1:30am this morning?'

'Here.'

'Okay, good.' Another smile.

'Do you own a white dress, Anna?' Anna froze. This was not a question she had expected. She paused.

'No. No, I don't.' She looked from one to the other, they looked a little suspicious, they'd noticed her hesitance. 'I do have a baggy white t-shirt, though.' She smiled innocently.

'How long is it?'

'Ahh, about…' Anna gestures mid way up her thighs, '…this long?'

'May we see it?'

'Sure.' Anna opened up her wardrobe and located her Iggy Pop t-shirt, she handed it to them. They smirked a little at the band.

'Hold this up to yourself, will you, Anna?' She complied.

'Okay, thank you, that's all. You can keep your t-shirt.' They added, before leaving.

'Thank you Ms. Jacobs.' They said as they got to the door, Hope bustled out of the kitchen. 'Oh, are you done? Will you need to come back?'

'Yes, and no, that won't be necessary. Thank you for your time, Ms. Jacobs. And thank you to you too, Anna!' They called up the stairs, Anna walked to the top of the stairs.

'That's 'kay.'

They shut the door behind them, Hope gave Anna an odd look, and Anna heaved a sigh of relief as she went back into her bedroom.

'_**They ain't comin' back.**_'

Later, Anna's phone rang.

'Anna! Are you okay?'

'Of course I am. Are you?'

'Yeah, the police have been round.'

'Same.'

'They said they wouldn't need to come back to my mum. Did they say that to you?'

'They said that to Hope. Pearl, you sound upset, are you okay?'

'Yeah, just a bit freaked out by the police thing and my mum and me just had an argument but…'

'Oh. I'm…sorry to hear that?'

'You're good, Anna!' Pearl laughed gently.

'Sorry, I don't know what to say in that kind of situation.' Anna laughed back.

'I'm glad they're fine with you.'

'Yeah, you too…' The phone beeped, Anna lifted it away from her ear a bit.

'_**Damn you!**_'

'Anna?'

'Sorry, Pearl, I have to go, my phone is running out of battery. Meet you at the park tomorrow?'

'Yeah, cool. Eurgh, mum's shouting again. See you tomorrow!'

'Bye.'

'Bye.'


	15. 999

_I should have known that something was wrong. Pearl trusted me, so when I told her it would be fine now, I should have known that she would believe it. Despite the road being opened again and the school being free of the authorities, the next day Pearl was still very subdued._

'_You alright, love?' I asked when we got a quiet moment. Everyone had been discussing various visits from to police to the homes of all blonde and dark haired girls so, for once, me and Pearl had been of interest for something other than them being able to take the piss out of us._

'_Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit tired, I didn't get much sleep last night.'_

_I nodded and left at that. I remembered not being able to sleep. Now I realize how stupid I had been, how arrogant I had become in thinking that Pearl would automatically tell me everything and God in Heaven I regret it every day._

_That night we went home as usual, we said goodbye at the corner. Pearl hugged me, I was quite surprised as I had explained to her why this was a bit risky. Even when I tried to pull away she hung on._

'_Pearl, please, leave off.'_

'_Goodbye, Anna.'_

'_Uhhh, bye.' I finally managed to prize her away from me. She smiled, sadly and I smiled back. 'Are you sure there's nothing wrong, dear?'_

'_No.' She hugged me again. 'Goodbye, Anna.'_

_Hope was home, which was always annoying. But she was in a good mood, talking to some guy on the phone all evening._

'_**That's what being in love does for you…**__'_

_Only when I went up to my room did I realize that I couldn't find my phone._

'_**Bugger, must have left it at school!**__' I distinctly remembered putting it into my locker that morning. I thought it best to phone Pearl (I had her number written down now) on Hope's house phone to see if there was any chance I could get back into the building to get it._

_It rang. And rang. And rang. And rang. Finally, I got the message alert tone. I tried again. The same thing. It wasn't like Pearl not to answer her phone, particularly to me, as, besides her parents, I was the only person who ever called her. I think it was about now that I began to worry. Something told me there was a problem, I didn't know what it was, but I knew somewhere I Pearl's life, something was very wrong._

_Now, after much studying, I know that it was probably our handshake, with the cuts across out palms, that gave us that small, tenuous psychic connection that enabled me to sense a problem but then I had no idea what possessed me to go to Pearl's house. I told Hope I'd be back in an hour._

_I knocked several times; I called through the letter box. The doors were locked, the curtains and the blinds down in the windows downstairs. I circled the house before selecting the back door, which led straight into the kitchen, as the best bet. It was only a cheap plastic door, and I knew I could get through the lock with my hair grip. It took some fiddling, but I got there, the door opened with a small, short click._

'_Hello?' I got nothing. Her parents were obviously out. I walked into the hallway that led to Pearl's room and was greeted by the sight of one of the photographs from the wall on the floor, the glass smashed and crunched into the ground, the frame cracked and snapped clean in pieces in places, and the photograph beneath punctured with shards of glass. It made me shudder. I moved past it and stopped. A scent caught my attention. It was kind of familiar, but there was something else to it. I followed it to rest outside Pearl's door. That's when it hit me. Blood. Pearl's blood to be more precise. I didn't think, I don't even think I felt anything as I threw the door open. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw._

_Pearl was laying her bed, a large knife in one hand, a pack of paper in the other…and a stream of blood leaking from both wrists._

_Normally, my instincts would have propelled me forwards to take my fill before her heart stopped forever, but this time they sent me to her kitchen, to their house phone, to call the emergency services._

'_999, what's your emergency?'_

'_Suicide, attempted suicide.' I corrected myself. '__**I can still hear her heart beat!**__' I clung to that thought, that sound._

'_Okay, and what's your name?'_

'_My name?'_

'_Yes, your name?'_

'_Does it matter? Just send someone now, HURRY!'_

'_Tell me your name, don't panic.'_

_I decided that it would be faster to tell her my name rather than sit and argue with her, as every moment I wasted by the telephone, Pearl's life drained away._

'_Anna.'_

'_Okay, Anna, where are you?'_

'_29 Catspole Road.'_

'_Who is with you?'_

'_No one! Just Pearl, she's tried to kill herself, slit her wrists…' As I said it, I felt my self control slip away; it was ebbing as her life did. 'Just, I need someone here now! There's so much blood!'_

'_Alright, Anna. An ambulance is on its way.'_

'_Thank you.'_

_The phone line cut. I can't remember who did it, me or the lady on the other end of the line but I threw myself into action. Grabbing towels from the airing cupboard upstairs I shredded them into strips and wound them round Pearl's forearms and then above her elbow._

'_**This is what they did on ''ER''!'**_

_I didn't know how tight to tie them, so I pulled them as tight as they would go._

'_**Tourniquets are supposed to be tight, aren't they?**__'_

'_Now you stay with me Pearl…'_

_I could hear the siren in the distance; the ambulance was still minutes away. Anyone with lesser hearing wouldn't have been able to pick it up yet, but I could, and I willed it to drive faster, for all the traffic to get out of the way. For when I looked down at my hands, I saw them drenched with the liquid I lived on, that was pumping through my best friend, out of her body and she was at my mercy. The scent of it was choking me, filling my nose and mouth. It reminded me of the smell as I watched my mother burn to death, from my place bleeding out on the floor. I wondered how similar me then and Pearl now looked._

'_**We were never meant to meet. By all the laws of physics and life, I should have been dead long before you came into being…**__' I shook her slightly; trying to wake her…nothing happened. I felt my control slip further and more red rubies of blood dripped onto my lap, ran down my pale skin, caught in my hair and making it brittle to the touch. '__**No more. No one else dies because of the undead!**__' I don't know how I did it, but I kept my mouth closed, no biting, nothing._

_The door knocked and the siren stopped, it seemed like it had been a small eternity. Pearl's heart beat was fading. I ran to the door at my pace and was pushed back while the paramedics found their way to Pearl, laid her on a stretcher and complimented my use of towels as a tourniquet. I wasn't listening, I was watching them load her into the ambulance._

'_I'm going with her!' I told them when they tried to push my away. They shook their heads and gave in, holding the doors open for me._

'_**Anna, you moron!**__' I told myself. '__**You're going to an 'ospital, full of blood and bleeding patients, what were you thinkin'?**__'_

_The rest happened on autopilot. I was ushered into a waiting room, left there with a glass of lukewarm water and a chocolate biscuit; someone had put a blanket around my shoulders. For the first time in nearly two hundred years, I was shivering._

_The doctor came out God only knows how long later._

'_She's stable. We've left a police officer at her house to inform her parents when they get home. You may go in now if you wish.'_

_I ran, at my pace, not caring who saw me. Pearl was stirring, but not awake._

'_Pearl?' I sat down by the bed, on the floor, ignoring the chair. 'It's me, Anna. Why did you do that, Pearl?' I felt tears run down my face, I couldn't help thinking that this was somehow my fault._

'_**Guilt from the other night…**__'_

'_Please wake up, love!' I heard my voice break._

'_Anna?' I turned, the doctor had returned with a nurse. Both their faces registered shock at seeing my with blood pouring from my eyes, but neither questioned it. The nurse made her excuses and left. 'Anna, her parents are on their way.'_

'_Oh.' I stood. I didn't feel like facing Pearl's parents. 'I'll come back tomorrow, Love…' I whispered, brushing hair out of her face. She moved one arm, as if to take hold on my hand, but then it dropped again, back to her side. She was still._


	16. Mistake

The house was quiet. Anna had only remembered on the way home that she'd told Hope she'd only be out an hour, but had looked at the clock in the hospital before she left to see that she'd been gone for nearly three hours by then. She'd expected to go in to hear a bombardment of rage from Hope. But all was calm.

'Hell-' Anna began as she poked her head around the door of the living room. Seeing Hope asleep on the sofa, a bottle of wine next to her, Anna backed away.

'_**I hope she's been asleep long enough to think that I got back in time…**_' She didn't want to talk about Pearl to Hope, it was all too raw.

Anna was about to go upstairs when she froze. There was someone in the kitchen. Anna turned, putting her coat over the banister, and silently peering through the crack in the kitchen door.

'_**Oh, Hell. There's a burglar!**_' A man in a balaclava was rifling through the drawers. Anna went to back away, to wake Hope, but her foot slipped – her evening had taken away her normal dexterity, and she caught the banister with one hand, but still crashed to the floor. The man's head snapped up. There was only a murmur from Hope, she stayed sleeping soundly. He opened the door, a knife, one's of Hope's kitchen knives, glittering in his hand. Fear built up inside her, without a thought, Anna sprung, snapping the man's neck between her hands, his body collapsing under her as they crumpled to the ground. She let instinct take over, after a whole night of holding it back and drank deeply of the intruder's life, making it her own.

She noticed Hope come out the living room all too late, she tried to close the door, realizing that she was covered in Pearl's blood, her own tears – the reason for her seemingly insatiable hunger – and now the blood of her latest victim. They faced each other for a time. Then Hope screamed and headed for the door.

'_**OH NO YOU DON'T!**_' Anna's instinct kicked in again and she coiled like a spring, jumped, and made it to the door before her foster mother. Hope screamed again, backing away but tripping over Anna's fallen coat. Anna took the chance and leapt at her, pinning her to the ground, biting into her neck. She continued to scream, the loudness reaching its peak, before she started to gurgle on her own blood, it spurted from her mouth. Her eyes scared and confused. Anna pulled back. Guilt and compassion filled her.

'I'm sorry, love…' she stroked the side of Hope's face, 'I'm sorry…'

In a display of undead compassion, Anna twisted her neck at an awkward angle. She heard the crack to signify that it had crushed a vertebrae and Anna sank backwards, sobbing on the floor.

'_**What 'ave I done?**_' Anna cried against the stairs, her bloody tears soaking the carpet, she inhaled the familiar smell, never before had she found the smell of Hope's never consumed home cooking so comforting. It reminded her of home.

'Mum…' She whispered quietly 'If there's such a thing as ghosts or spirits or whatever, please come to me now. I need you!'

Nothing. No one came. No one was left to come.

Anna knew she had to leave. She couldn't hide these bodies. A missing burglar and her foster mother. Greta was visiting later in the week, even if Anna did leave them, they'd soon be found out. No, she had to leave. And now. She didn't bother to change, she was wearing black and in the dark, the blood wouldn't be so noticeable. She opened the front door for what would be the last time and closed it behind her with a click. It was a final sound.

'_**One thing I have to do first…**_'


	17. Fresh Start

_It was early morning light when I climbed the side of the hospital building. My plan was to hook my hand through the small open window to Pearl's room and unlock the bigger window, then I'd be in. I was successful. The window squeaked. Pearl wriggled in her sleep._

'_Pearl…' I shook her again, as I had the previous night, it seemed so long ago now, 'Love, it's me, wake up, you have to this time, dear, I 'ave to leave…'_

_Something in what I said must have resonated with her because her eyes flickered open and she looked thoroughly confused._

'_Wher-where am i?' _

'_At the hospital, Pearl. You tried to…'_

'_I know.' She looked at me hard. 'Why are you always covered in blood, Anna?'_

'_**I'll never hear your innocence again…**__' My eyes spilled over again._

'_Why are you crying, Anna? Am I going to die?' She didn't sound panicked, more peaceful. I wiped my tears away._

'_No, love, you're not, I got you here in time.'_

'_I wish you hadn't.' She sounded bitter. Her eyes looked daggers at me. It hurt._

'_Pearl, look, can't you please not make this harder? I ca-' My voice broke again, I covered my face, 'I'm sorry, love…'_

'_Anna…' She sat up._

'_Why did you do it?' I said finally. Moving my hand away._

'_My parents lied to me.'_

'_That…all…' I didn't mean to sound unsupportive but it seemed a little over dramatic to me._

'_About everything. I'm adopted, Anna, and they never told me, my whole life has been a lie. They shouted it at me in an argument. I couldn't…deal. I'm not strong like you, Anna, it must have taken you so much to resist last night and you did, Anna, you did, but I'm not that strong and-Anna, why are you crying again?'_

_That explained the crushed family photograph and the pack of paper._

'_God love, I'm not strong, I'm not, I lost it and I have to leave!' I couldn't take it. I didn't deserve her praise now, nor had I deserved it ever. I never will._

'_What?' She looked distraught, I felt terrible. 'Why?'_

_I told her. Right from the top._

'_Then it's my fault.' She said finally when I finished. 'If I hadn't been so stupid and tried to go all emo on you, then…'_

'_No, it's me. It's always been me, I said I couldn't be your friend because you'd get hurt and now you have!'_

'_You leaving me in the lurch hurts more than cutting my veins open did, Anna!'_

'_**You're making me hungry again, Pearl and I'm losing energy through my tears!**__'_

'_That's what I mean, Pearl.'_

'_Is there no way you could stay?'_

'_No.'_

_Her face lit up._

'_I got it! I could donate my blood to you on a daily basis and you could come live with me in my wardrobe or something! And…'_

_At any other time, I'd have laughed, now I cried harder than ever._

'_No. That can't happen and you know it, dear.'_

_We were silent for a moment before I got up and approached her, ready to say goodbye._

'_Wait.' She said with a sigh. She stood, pulling the IV from her hand._

'_Pearl…what are you doing, get back in bed, you'll make yourself unwell again.'_

'_I'm coming with you.' She said. She meant it._

'_What? No, you can't. It's too dangerous for you, you can't live like I do.'_

'_No, I AM coming with you. As ONE of you.'_

'_I-'_

'_No buts now, Anna. I want to. You told me that there was no good in living if I had nothing to live for. Now I don't, not without you, my best friend, so make me into you. Take me with you.' She ripped her bandage from her arm and, with a small cry, split her stitches._

'_Pearl.' I breathed quietly, watching the tantalising blood pour again._

'_Do it. Anna, do it or I bleed to death.'_

_I couldn't get a nurse, not look as I did and she wouldn't. I had no choice. And I really didn't want to be alone anymore._

'_I-' I stammered again._

'_Anna, please!' She hugged me. 'Do it.' She said from hanging around my neck. I could feel her blood soaking my back. I knew I didn't have much time to make my choice._

'…_You can take life or give it…__' The phrase came back to me, my attacker, my creator told me, his only useful words to me._

_I was about to take her life but give it back again in a new way._

'_**I can't believe I'm doing this…**__'_

_And that's when I sank my teeth into her neck._

**Well, that's all ! I hope you all enjoyed it, check out the rest if you like.**

**The fact that you've all stayed with it until the end means a lot to me.**


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